THE Louth Foxhounds held their traditional autumn fixture at Tattersalls last Sunday where visibility was at a premium due to the low-lying fog.

That didn’t take away from the action on the track though where the Antrim-based Crawford brothers stole the show with a double from their only two participants on the seven-race card.

They kick-started their double in the second division of the four-year-old geldings’ maiden when Gold Cup Bailly carried the famous double green colours of Simon Munir and Isaac Souede to a length success over Michael Murphy’s Ruling De Roost.

Ben Crawford, who rode the winning son of Turgeon for his brother Stuart, said: “He’s a lovely horse. The boys (Simon Munir and Isaac Souede) have sent us some nice horses to try and educate.

“We came here today thinking the ground was going to be a wee bit soft for him so we were going to give him as good an education as we could. He just travelled effortlessly and jumped well.”

The double was completed in the five-year-old mares’ maiden where Lady Boss ran out a cosy five-length winner over Lecale Lass, who was having her first run for Andrew Lynch.

The winning daughter of Milan, who carried the colours of Clare Ann McNeill, led turning for home and, despite a slow jump at the last, stayed on well up the run-in to score.

After the race, Ben Crawford, who had ridden Legacy Thor to win a maiden hurdle at Navan a day earlier also for his brother Stuart, said: “I couldn’t ask for much more than that, two rides and two winners! She has a lot of ability.

Confused

“I hit the front turning the bend, and with the fog, she didn’t know where to go. She was very confused and she came down to the last looking all over the place. She ended up popping the last and I had to get a wee bit serious with her but, as soon as I did, away she went.”

Division one of the aforementioned four-year-old geldings’ maiden went the way of My Mate Mozzie for Mags Mullins and Tom Hamilton.

The son of Born To Sea, who was carrying the colours of the winning handler, ran out an easy eight-length winner over the Aidan Fitzgerald-trained Gris Gris Top.

“I had never sat on him but Mags and Danny both told me that he was a nice horse. He had done everything well at home and he did that very well,” said Hamilton.

“He had a bit of a look at the last but quickened away from it well and won with however much he wanted.”

The opening four-year-old mares’ maiden produced another smart performance as it went the way of the Ellen Doyle-trained and John O’Neill-ridden Doyen La Lutte.

The daughter of Doyen, carrying the colours of the Baltimore Stables Syndicate, had finished third on her debut at Dromahane but improved on that effort here to beat the Martin Corrigan-trained Ocean’s Of Money by four lengths.

O’Neill said afterwards: “She’s a classy mare. We always thought a lot of her at home. She was third the first day but was probably just a bit green. She came on a ton for the run and did that well.”

Harney highlights with a first winner

THE concluding older maiden provided winning jockey Tom Harney with a day he’ll never forget as he rode his first winner on board Tom Shaw’s Keenaghan Lass.

The winning daughter of Court Cave, carrying the colours of the Collegeland Syndicate, hit the front at the last and went on to score by three lengths over the long-time leader, Martalink.

Harney, who works full-time for Ross O’Sullivan in Kill, said: “That’s my first winner and it went fairly smoothly. I went around the wide outside for the nicer ground and she jumped fairly well. She made two little mistakes but her ability kept her in it really. She kept latching on to the bridle.”

The winner-of-one contest went the way of Singing Banjo, who was recording his first success since a maiden win at Tinahely in 2016 under Barry Walsh.

Trained and owned by his father, John, the son of Generous emerged from the fog with a length advantage and he stayed on well from the last to beat the recent Kirkistown winner Outside The Ring by three lengths.

Winning rider Walsh said: “He just stays going and needs a trip. The ground today suited him as it’s taking a good bit of getting.

“He might go for a winner-of-two now and then go for the banks at Punchestown as he was third in the Ladies Cup.”

JOHNNY Hurley made the long journey up from Cork a worthwhile one as his debutant, Manothepeople, ran out a one-length winner over the Peter Flood-trained, Our Colossus in the five-year-old geldings’ maiden.

The son of Mahler, who was carrying the winning handler’s colours, was always prominent in the hands of Johnny Hurley who said afterwards: “He’s as tough as nails. I went a good gallop on him and going down to the last, he found a bit and winged it. He stayed at it up the hill.”

Horse to Follow

Ruling De Roost (M. Murphy): The son of Rule Of Law is gradually improving and he ran a fine race in second here when just beaten by an above-average newcomer. He’ll be winning his maiden shortly before going on to better things.

LIAM O’Dwyer, Mary Shirley and Paul Lannery were all remembered by the Louth Foxhounds during Sunday’s meeting as they sadly passed away during the year.

Shirley was formerly the longest serving secretary of a hunt across Ireland.

Pugh’s vision, like everybody else’s, was severely impacted as a result of the dense fog.